Natarkas
Natarkas, a large, well-muscled Awl warrior of the Ganetok clan, was a member of the Copperfaces - a group so-called because of their practice of routinely covering their faces with a reddish, copper-colored pigment in a fashion meant to emulate the actual red-scaled mask of Redmask, an Awl exile whose exploits against the ever-encroaching Letherii they clearly admired. Natarkas and his fellow Copperfaces belonged to an inner circle of trusted, close companions to the Ganetok war leader, Hadralt, first born son of Capalah.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 6, US TPB p.144 In Reaper's Gale Natarkas served as one of the main sources of information about the Ganetok to Redmask, who had returned from exile and who had become the leader of the Ganetok and of the remaining remnants of the other Awl clans. As spokeman, Natarkas had told Redmask about the death by poisoning of Capalah, the previous war leader, after he had eaten at the hut of his son, Hadralt.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 6, US TPB p.146/151 Natarkas also shamefacedly described to Redmask the Ganetok's sordid betrayal of the Grey Swords (the Reve of Togg and Fanderay), foreign mercenaries who they had hired to help them fight the Eastern Letherii Army, but who they had abandoned, to the Grey Sword's ultimate doom, by cold-bloodedly leaving the field of battle, resulting in the Grey Swords, now badly out-numbered, having to fight the Letherii alone.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 6, US TPB p.150-151 The Copperface also informed Redmask that one of the two Grey Sword commanders still lived, having been captured and then chained to a stake behind the hut where the Awl women were ritually quarantined, while their blood flowed during their menstrual periods - information which enraged the already disgusted Redmask and caused him to immediately find the badly mistreated captive, Toc Anaster, and release him.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 6, US TPB p.151Reaper's Gale, Chapter 8, US TPB p.208-209 Natarkas, accepting Redmask as war leader of the Awl, began to habitually trail after him as Redmask moved around the Awl encampment, becoming close to Redmask and learning more about and from him.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 10, US TPB p.270-272 Subsequently, the Copperface fought under Redmask's command in the battles that took place between the Awl and the combined Letherii and Tiste Edur armies.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US TPB p.452-453 At the third and last battle fought between the two forces, Natarkas was put in charge of a contingent of 2000 Awl cavalry, having been given by Redmask strict and detailed orders on how the Copperface was to lead his lancers during the fighting.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US TPB p.681-682 Despite this, Natarkas intentionally decided, beforehand, not to follow the orders he had been given, seeking instead more glory than the supporting role assigned to him and his warriors could have given to them.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US TPB p.682 However, the result of this decision on Natarkas' part to disobey Redmask's precisely given orders, led not to glory, but to the deaths of Natarkas and of his entire command.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US TPB p.683-685 Notes and references Category:Males Category:Awl Category:Soldiers